Supporting fabrication for tents



1934. J. w. DIXON ET AL 1,969,260

SUPPORTING FABRICATION FOR TENTS Filed Nov. 20, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l @1015 I L flijmn' Paul LFi/er INVENTOR ATTORN EY 1934- Y J. w. DIXON ET AL 1,969,260

SUPPORTING FABRICATION FOR TENTS Filed'Nov. 20, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v INVENTOR ATTORNEY "25 small space.

Patented Aug. 7, 1934 v UNITED STATES PATENT 'oFFIcE 1,969,260 1 SUPPORTING FABRICATION FOR TENTS John W. Dixonand Paul A. Filer, Waco, Tex., assigncrs of one-third to Francis M. Compton and Reed Compton, Waco, Tex.

Application November 20,1933, Serial No. 698,736

5 Claims.

.10 ing pole or like structure is objectionable.

Another object of the invention is to provide a supportingstructure for tents, while not only making the central supporting structure unnecessary, increases the wind resistance of the tent, enhances the appearance of the structure and generally improves upon the conventional reinforcing fabrication of a tent, as a temporary shelter or covering especially. 1

Another object of the invention is to provide a support of the character specified which may be erected in a minimum of time by a single individual, requiring no tools of a complicated nature and due to its novel construction, may be disassembled and stored in a comparatively These features are such as to render the invention applicable for use by morticians especially and in other cases where speed in erection and durability, are prime factors, combined with the fact that no central.support '30 ing devices are present to interfere with the services or movements under the tent.

Still another object of the invention is to provide means to effect adjustment of the in-,

vention to conform with the design of ready made canopies or tent coverings, thus enabling those possessing tents to replace the objectionable supporting structure with a structure having no annoying center supporting post.

With the foregoing objects as paramount, the invention has particular reference to its salient features of construction and arrangement of parts which will become manifest as the description proceeds, ,taken 'in connection with the accompany drawings, wherein:

embodiment' shown in, Figure 1, showing the provision for ridge length adjustment.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detail View ofone of the hinged joints between the side rib and supporting post. i

Figure dis a perspective View of'a further modified'form, showing the adaption of the invention in the erection of a tent having a pyram idal or of A design, and a Figure 7 is a fragmentary detail view' of a form of reinforcing rib for the slope of the tent in alignment with the ridgepole.

Continuing with a more detailed-description of the, drawings, reference is primarily made to Figure 1, wherein is shown in skeleton form a supporting fabrication embodying the elements of the present invention. In this figure, 1 desig nates a preferably tubular member adapted to supplant the conventional wooden ridgepole. Midway between the ends of this member is welded or otherwise secured a hinge 2, either formed. upon or joined to a pair of tubulararms 3. As apparent, the arms 3 are adapted to extend outwardly and downwardly fromeither side of the member angular plane. I r

- Into the ends of the tubular arms 3 arcinse'rted rib rails 4 of wood or other suitable ma--v terial. These rails are hinged at their extremities at a to the normally perpendicular poles 5,

1 and on the same which support the sides of the tent andwhich 7 are adapted to fold upon the rails 4 when the structure is dismantled. I I

While it is not considered absolutely essential, a hook 6. is provided and secured to the rail at b on the rail 4, to engage an eyelet c, screwed or otherwise suitably secured to the pole 5. This arrangement is-particularly shown in the fragmentary View, Figure 5. g Y A substantially V-shapedreinforcing member 7 insures rigidity of the, members 1 and 3 by having its free ends welded-at'd adjacent the cured by means of the bolt 8 to a pair of 00-. operating vbars 9, which function to retain the arms 3 in fixed, angular relationship. A detail" View of these bars isshownin Figure 2 I Since it is necessary that the angularity of the arms 3 be changed in cases where thepitch of a'canopy varies, it follows that the relation-- I ends of the member land its central bend see ship of the bars 9 with the arms 3 must be al-' tered. This is accomplished through the medium of' boxes 10 or other suitable means affixed in spaced relation to the ends of the arms 3 and into which the angularly bent ends 11 of the bars 9 are inserted. This arrangement is such that the fixed relationship of the bars with the arms 3 may be changed to conform with the angularity of the arms as the latter are adjusted to the pitch of the fabric covering, not shown. To insure against displacement of the fabric on the supporting structure, perpendicularly arranged pins 12 are provided in the ends of the member 1, to extend through apertures in the fabric. The ropes 13, shown in solid and dotted lines in Figure 1 are conventional.

As apparent in Figure 1,, a chain 14 orother means is necessary to prevent spreading of the rails 4 and has its ends connected to eyelets l5, suitably secured to the rails 4. These eyelets may be secured to sleeves designed to embrace the rails 4 if found more desirable, but in practice, the threaded shanks of conventional construction have been considered satisfactory.

Referring now to Figure 4, a modified view, it will be observed that there is little difference between the structure shown therein and that shown in Figure 1, except that the'member 15 is capable of being extended by virtue of the members 16 which are received in the ends of member 15. These members 16 carry the per pendicular pins 17, analogous to the pins 12 in Figure 1 and are secured against longitudinal displacement in member 15 by set screws 13 entering near the ends'of the member 15 and engaging the members 16, as shown in Figure 4. The arms 19, hinged at 20 are unlike the structure illustrated in Figure 1 and are similarly held against relative displacement by adjustable bars 21 as shown, whose positions with respect to the arms 19-are altered by virtue of the retaining-boxes 22. A V-shapedreiniorcing member 23 maintains true horizontal position of the member 15 as in the preceding case.

Referring to Figure 6, it will be noted thata structure is therein shown to support a tent of pyramidal design, in which the ropes, not shown, co'nverge'to a common point, where they are tied to a ring, also not shown, but which ring encompasses the vertical pin 24, which latter, in turn is mounted upon the plate 25.

The plate 25 is secured, by means of the brace 26 to one ofthe arms 27, hinged at 28 and held in spaced relationship by bars 29, similar to bars-9 in Figure 2 and bars 21 in Figure 4.

It-is pointed out that in order to simplifythe method of securing the bars 9, 21 and 29 together, they are correspondingly corrugatedas shown in the several figures.

' To further strengthen the supporting structure shown-in the several figureaan extra rail 30, shown'in Figure"7,'may beprovided for the sides'of the-tent opposing the rails 4 shown in Figure 1. v preferably in the type of tent for which the structure shown 'in Figure 1 is designed to support and comprises the rail 30, to one end of which is affixed an an ular tip 31 designedto enter the openend of the member 1, and atip 32, provided with an eyelet 33 or other suitable means to effect its securement to the vertical post or pole 34,-adaptedto be placed intermediate'the corner poles 35 in'Figure 1.

These auxiliary rails are employed erected in a very short period of time compared to the time required to pitch a tent of conventional design and that this may be done by a single person without difiiculty. Also, it should be apparent that a tent so erected will have all of the prerequisites of a tent of ordinary design butfrom which is omitted the annoying center pole. I

Manifestly, the construction shown is capable of considerable modification and such modification as is considered within the scope and meanmeans for holding said latter members in fixed angular planes.

2. A supporting fabrication for tents and the like including a ridge member and a pair of tubular side members vhingedly secured thereto and extending outwardly and downwardly, side rails having their'endsextended into said tubular side members, a vpair of poles whose upper ends are hinged to .the free ends of said side rails, extensible means holding said tubular members in adjusted p'csitionsand meansconnected to said ridge member and said extensible means for holding said ridgemember rigid with respect to said tubular side member.

3. A supporting fabrication for tents and the like, including a pair ofv tubular members hav-- ing their ends hinged together and defining a substantially. V-shape when inoperative position, a pair of rails having their ends'extended into said tubular members, supporting poles whose'upperendsare hinged tozthe free end of said rails and means for holding .said tubular members in adjusted positions.

4. A supporting fabrication i or tentsand :the like including hinged members arranged in in verted V-shape to supportthe roof of the tent, an extensible ridge member connectedsto Fthe fulcrum :point of said first 'member, .means to rigidify said members with :respect tooneanother andcollapsible means for supportingsalid members 5. A supporting fabrication for 1 tents and: canopies-including a pair of :members arranged .in inverted V-shape 1 formation and hinged 5 together fcrangular displacement, anextensible ridge member connectedintermediate:its ends to the fulcrum point of said first members,:.an extensible bracing member'connected to randextending between said hinged members for retaining the same in adjustedpositions, collapsible means distantly spaced from the longitudinal axis of said ridge member and means extending between said supporting means top'revent outward movement thereof.

I JOHN WJDIXON.

PAULA. FILER:

for supporting said members from .pointsequi- 

